8 Days Lemosho route | Climb Kilimanjaro
Lemosho Overview
Lemosho Itenerary
Kilimanjaro Preparations
Before Kilimanjaro Climb
Lemosho Overview
The Lemosho Route starts off on the western flank of Kilimanjaro, offering spectacular views of Mt Meru and the plains of Kenya’s Amboseli National Park. Your first day takes you through a dense rainforest, that gradually thins out with each upward step and by day two you can already see the summit of Kilimanjaro, glistening in the distance.
On the third day, the route joins the Machame Route and a long, but rewarding, road lies ahead until you reach the summit. The extra day on this 8 day trek gives you the opportunity to better acclimatise, thus increasing your chances of reaching the top.
Lemosho Itenerary
Lemosho route 8 Days
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Day 0; Kilimanjaro Airport – Arusha
- Day 1; Arusha – Starting Point Lemosho (2,385m) – Big Tree Camp (2,780m)
- Day 2; Big Tree Camp (2,780m) – Shira Camp 1 (3,500m)
- Day 3; Shira Camp 1 (3,500m) – Shira Camp 2 (3,900m)
- Day 4; Shira Camp 2 (3,900m) – Lava Tower (4,640m) – Barranco Camp (3,960m)
- Day 5; Barranco Camp (3,960m) – Karanga Camp (4,035m)
- Day 6; Karanga Camp (4,035m) – Barafu Camp (4,640m)
- Day 7; Barafu Camp (4,640m) – Uhuru Peak (5,895m) – Mweka Camp (3,080m)
- Day 8; Mweka Camp (3,080m) – Mweka Gate (1,630m) – Arusha
Kilimanjaro Preparations
Top 5 Things to Prepare for Kilimanjaro:
Your trek may be right around the corner or months down the line, but it’s never too early to start getting ready. We could give tips on everything from which boots to buy to which songs to download (hey, it matters!), but no matter what, we’d tell all our guests to make sure they’ve done the following before boarding the plane to Tanzania:
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1. Wear Your Hiking Boots as Much as Possible
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2. With All of Your Gear On you backpack and try everything.
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3. Hike Up AND Down…
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4. Practice the Rest Step
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5. Sleep Outside in a Tent
Before Kilimanjaro Climb
Top 10 Things to Consider before Kilimanjaro Climb:
- 1. Climb during the dry season.
- 2. Book a local tour company.
- 3. Choose your route carefully.
- 4. Budget plenty of money.
- 5. Tip the porters.
- 6. Pay for the optional bathroom tent.
- 7. Gather your gear.
- 8. Bring meds.
- 9. Take time to acclimatize.
- 10. Respect the mountain.
Browse all Kilimanjaro Iteneraries
Know Kilimanjaro Mountain
Kilimanjaro, the tallest mountain in Africa, rises on the Tanzania – Kenya border, well into the Eastern half of the African continent. Towering above the Tanzanian plains so close to the equator (3.04 degrees South), the snowclad mountain leads a spectacular existence on the African plains. So spectacular that well into the nineteenth century, much of mainland Europe refused to believe eyewitness accounts of its existence. In our own time, Kili (as it is affectionately called by the climbing community) is a proud member of two exclusive clubs viz. seven summits of the world (composed of the tallest mountain in each of the seven continents) and seven natural wonders of the world.
December end to March and June to beginning of October when the weather is more likely to be dry are the popular climbing season for Kilimanjaro. These months also tend to be the busiest on the mountains.
Top lemosho route Iteneraries - Highly recommended Route
LEMOSHO 7 DAYS
LEMOSHO 8 DAYS
LEMOSHO 10 DAYS
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
LEMOSHO 7 DAYS
 Kilimanjaro Lemosho routeLemosho route is one of the best routes for acclimatization. The route is less used and a beautiful way up to the Shira Plateau. The route is one of the few where groups may be accompanied on the first day by an armed ranger, as the forests around the Lemosho Glades are inhabited by buffalo, elephant and other wildlife. |
7 Days Kilimanjaro lemosho route :The minimum duration for the Lemosho route is 6 days, however we strongly recommend hiking the route in 7 days. The additional 7th day will give your body more time to acclimatize, reducing the effects of altitude sickness and give you more time to rest before attempting the summit.
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LEMOSHO 8 DAYS
Kilimanjaro Lemosho routeLemosho route is one of the best routes for acclimatization. The route is less used and a beautiful way up to the Shira Plateau. The route is one of the few where groups may be accompanied on the first day by an armed ranger, as the forests around the Lemosho Glades are inhabited by buffalo, elephant and other wildlife. |
8 Days Kilimanjaro lemosho route :The minimum duration for the Lemosho route is 6 days, however we strongly recommend hiking the route in 7 days. The additional 7th day will give your body more time to acclimatize, reducing the effects of altitude sickness and give you more time to rest before attempting the summit.
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LEMOSHO 10 DAYS
Kilimanjaro Lemosho routeLemosho route is one of the best routes for acclimatization. The route is less used and a beautiful way up to the Shira Plateau. The route is one of the few where groups may be accompanied on the first day by an armed ranger, as the forests around the Lemosho Glades are inhabited by buffalo, elephant and other wildlife. |
10 Days Kilimanjaro lemosho route :The minimum duration for the Lemosho route is 6 days, however we strongly recommend hiking the route in 7 days. The additional 7th day will give your body more time to acclimatize, reducing the effects of altitude sickness and give you more time to rest before attempting the summit.
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IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Access to the trail begins with a long drive from Moshi or Arusha to Londorossi Gate. This can take three to four hours. Londorossi Gate is located in the western base of mountain.
Lemosho starts in lush, fertile rainforest. It is the first ecological zone you encounter on Kilimanjaro (we will trek through four). The route heads up and across the Shira Plateau, which used to be Kilimanjaro’s third peak before it collapsed. Then, we make our way north to Moir Hut, which serves as a great acclimatization day due to short hikes than can be done in the nearby Lent Hills.
Next, we climb high up and over Lava Tower before dropping into Barranco Valley, one of the prettiest areas on the entire trail. We climb the intimidating Barranco Wall and then circle along the southern circuit to Karanga and high camp Barafu Hut.
The summit attempt is made from Barafu in the early morning hours, often during the full moon. This is the coldest, windiest section of your adventure. But once the sun comes up, so can most of your extra layers. After the summit, the descent follows the Mweka trail.
How Long Does it Take to Climb Kili Using the Lemosho Route?
The Lemosho route can be done in as little as six days (five nights) on the mountain. However, it is ideally tackled over eight days (seven nights) for a better altitude acclimatization schedule. With eight days (seven nights) on the mountain, your chances of reaching the top are very high, around 90%.
The Lemosho route is approximately 70 km/ 42 miles from gate to gate, with an elevation gain of about 16,000 to 17,000 feet.
Lemosho is designed for physically fit people with some hiking experience. However, we have many clients who tackle the route as their first real backpacking experience. They do very well. So do not be intimidated by this trail. If it appeals to you, we encourage you to climb Kilimanjaro on the route.
The table below depicts a variation of the 8 day Lemosho climb with starting and finishing points, altitude, distance and hiking time. This is considered to be the ideal Lemosho route variation.
How Much Does it Cost to Climb Kili Using the Lemosho Route?
There price for climbing Kilimanjaro will vary depending on the operator, the duration of the trip, and the number of clients in your party.
The Lemosho route can be climbed in 6 to 9 days. Because the park fees, staff requirements, and amount of food increases with each day, the price of a Lemosho route tour will increase accordingly.
Our current pricing for a party of 4 on the Lemosho route variations are listed below.
Lemosho Route Cost:
- Lemosho 6 Day Itinerary (not recommended) – not offered
- Lemosho 7 Day Itinerary (ok) – $2,879 per person, private climb
- Lemosho 8 Day Itinerary (preferred) – $3,249 per person, private climb or $3,149 per person, group climb
- Lemosho Crater 9 day Itinerary (experienced only) – $4,099 per person, private climb
How Hard is it to Climb Kilimanjaro Using the Lemosho Route?
The Lemosho route is considered a challenging route. This is because it is a longer route, covering more distance and has more elevation gain than other routes.
A route profile, sometimes called an elevation profile, is a side view of geographical data which focuses on elevation. As shown below, the Lemosho route gains and loses altitude throughout the trip, which requires more energy expenditure to tackle.
However, this up and down movement is actually very beneficial for acclimatization because it follows the “climb high, sleep low” principle. Climb high, sleep low is a strategy by which you sleep at a lower elevation to which you have ascended during the day. This is known to stimulate the body to produce more red blood cells which carry oxygen.
So even though the route profile is considered difficult, Lemosho’s summit success rate is very high, around 90%-95%, when done over 8 days.
Where Does the Lemosho Route Start?
The Lemosho Route begins at Londorossi Gate, which is located on the western side of Mount Kilimanjaro. From Moshi, it is a 3-4 drive to get there.
How Many Routes are There Up Kilimanjaro?
There are seven routes used to climb Kilimanjaro:
- Lemosho Route
- Marangu Route
- Machame Route
- Rongai Route
- Shira Route
- Northern Circuit Route
- Umbwe Route
Within each route, there are variations that are different durations, use different campsites and summit approaches, so there are actually more than 20 options when it comes to choosing Kilimanjaro routes.
How Long Does it Take to Climb Kilimanjaro?
The shortest Kilimanjaro routes are 5 day itineraries and the longest Kilimanjaro routes are 9-10 day itineraries.
The best, practical advice is to take as long as you can in order to acclimatize to the elevation. By ascending slowly, the body can gradually adjust to the lower oxygen levels. Climbing too high too fast is the main cause of failed acclimatization, which leads to altitude related illnesses.
Statistics show that adding “rest” days to your climb increases the summit success rate. The success rate for routes that are 8 or more days is over 90%. Comparatively, the success rate for a 5 day climb is around 30%.
About Mount Kilimanjaro
Mount Kilimanjaro is the tallest free standing mountain in the world. People from all over the globe come to Tanzania to climb Kilimanjaro, hoping to stand proudly at Uhuru Point – 19,341 feet high. Crowned in ice, Mount Kilimanjaro is a spectacular sight to behold. But this view will not last long. The glaciers are melting at an alarming rate due to global warming and will be completely gone in 50 years.
In 2013, an estimated 50,000 tourists climbed Mount Kilimanjaro. The number has been steadily growing every year. What makes Kilimanjaro such a magnetic draw for adventurous folks is that climbing Kilimanjaro does not require technical skills or mountaineering equipment such as ice axes, crampons, harnesses and ropes. Kilimanjaro is entirely a walk up mountain. As long as you can put one foot in front of the other, and are in decent fitness, you can climb Mount Kilimanjaro.
Mount Kilimanjaro is regulated by the Tanzania National Park Authority. The authority maintains the major routes on Mount Kilimanjaro to ensure safety, cleanliness and flow. Also, park rangers monitor the activity on the moutain to check that every climber is accompanied by a licensed guide on a Kilimanjaro tour. You are not allowed to climb Kilimanjaro on your own.
When is the Best Time to Climb Kilimanjaro?
Tanzania does not have four seasons like most people are accustomed to. Instead, Tanzania experiences wet and dry seasons. During the wet season, rain can fall steadily everyday, making your time on the mountain pretty difficult. Therefore, the best time to climb Kilimanjaro is during the dry season. Those months include: January, February, July, August, September, October. The rainy season months are: March, April, May, June, November and December.
Mount Kilimanjaro creates its own weather and it can be very unpredictable. It is possible to encounter a blizzard, torrential rains, or brutal winds during any season. Anyone who climbs Kilimanjaro should be outfitted properly. That means being ready for all potential conditions on your trip.
Lastly, you don’t conquer a mountain. She allows your passage, if she is feeling nice. People who are not adequately prepared pay the price very quickly.
Kilimanjaro Lemosho Route FAQ's
Compared to other routes, Lemosho is one of the least busy, even during the hot season. The remote location of the trailhead, more expensive price tag and the popularity of Marangu and Machame routes are the reasons why only 2-3% of all Kilimanjaro climbers choose it. Also, it is one of the newest routes on Kilimanjaro, which few people know about. Its popularity, however, is increasing every year.
There are several notable differences between the two routes.
Firstly, Machame route is the second most popular route on Kilimanjaro. It can be somewhat crowded in August-September and January-February. In contrast, Lemosho is still less visited, and will suit those who prefer more reclusive hiking.
Secondly, on Machame you will be going through the rainforest on the first day of your hike. On Lemosho this experience is available only on an 8-day climb, while 7 and 6-day variations start straight in the moorland zone.
Thirdly, Machame route climb is available in six and seven-day options. The first one is very physically taxing and features one of the worst acclimatization transitions of all. On the contrary, the shortest trek on Lemosho – six-day – provides good acclimatization possibility even for beginners.
Finally, because Machame trailhead is located on the southern face of Kilimanjaro, close to Moshi, the prices for Machame trek are usually less expensive than the Lemosho route.
We can measure each day in walking hours rather than kilometers. Most days, other than the summit day, will begin with breakfast around 6:30 AM and departure at 7 AM. You will walk four to five hours with a break for lunch followed by another hour or two of hiking in the afternoon. These days are not long or difficult and you will be advised to walk slowly.
We provide tents, camping gear, food, utensils, and leadership. You should bring your own sleeping bag, water system, personal clothing, light duffle bag, and day pack. Hiking poles can be rented.
A packing list is provided to all climbers, along with our pre-departure packet:
- • 1 mountaineering sleeping bag .
- • 2-3 liters water canteen (sturdy plastic or steel)
- • 1 LED flashlight with spare batteries
- • 1 Pair of comfortable trekking boots
- • 1 towel
- • 2 pairs of thick thermal socks and several pairs of regular socks
- • 2 fleece jackets
- • 1 down jacket or long-sleeved wind-breaker (down jacket is unnecessary if you have good fleece jackets)
- • 1 set of thermal underwear (i.e. thermal vest and long-johns)
- • 2 pairs of trekking trousers
- 1 waterproof jacket
- • 1 pair of waterproof trousers
- • 1 balaclava or ski-mask
- • 1 sun hat
- • 1 pair of sunglasses
Breakfast includes tea, coffee, milk, eggs, toast, porridge, cereals, bread, fruits, bacon, sausages, etc.
Lunch is a picnic lunch on the way the first day while it is hot lunch the next days with hot soups, bread, vegetables, fruits, salad, cookies, beef, chicken or fish, potatoes, pasta, or rice with sauce.
Dinner starts with hot soups, followed by the main course (pasta or rice, meat), desserts and ends with hot drinks.
The major sources of cost variations are the money spent on food, off-mountain accommodation, porter and guide wages, tents, and the cost of getting to the mountain. We are determined is determined to provide the best food, best guides and porters, best tents and equipment, top quality before-and-after-climb accommodation, a full professional pre-climb orientation, insurance for all staff and inclusion of all park permits, meals, transfers and local hosting costs. On some of the least expensive trips, food is minimal and often prepared by frying.
As guides and porters are expected to cover part of their wages with tips, these companies cannot attract the best staff. Often, they do not provide full warm clothing to staff. The mountain is hard on tents which are expensive in Tanzania, meaning that tents on cheap trips are often worn or dirty.
Our approach is not to provide the cheapest trip, but rather to do everything we can to increase the likelihood you will reach the summit and enjoy the overall experience with a staff of people who are well qualified and compensated for the extraordinary assistance they provide to you.
We invite you report your issues/requests/questions to the Savannah Explorers office or to your guide during the hiking.
YES! As we mentioned before, Kilimanjaro is suitable for beginners; they do very well. The best advice is for everyone to arrive in great shape. Don’t underestimate the climb because you know someone did it who you believe was not fit.
Most days are not very hard because the trails are not steep it’s mostly dealing with the altitude, however the summit night is extremely difficulty as this is the coldest, windiest section of your adventure. An ascent of 4,084ft with 49% less oxygen and a descent of nearly 6,870ft.
Kilimanjaro’s altitude is a significant challenge, but climbers do not need supplemental oxygen to climb Kilimanjaro or reach the summit. To reach to the summit you use the acclimatization method of walking slowly “pole pole” climb high, sleep low.
At the bottom of the mountain, the average temperature is around 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit (21 to 27 degrees Celsius). At the peak that is Uhuru Peak, the temperatures falls between 20 and -20 degrees Fahrenheit (-7 to -29 degrees Celsius).
LOVED the Kili Climb! Very well organized, the food was amazing! FRESH fruits and veggies at every meal, and they even accommodated dietary restrictions!! GF, Vegan and dairy (just to name a few) in our group of 14! The morning ritual of GINGER TEA was my fav, for sure!!! Sandeep is a great team builder, the group or climbers were so amazing, helpful and cheery the entire time!!! I will climb with Trip Insight Tanzania again! Wish you could experience this for yourself, it is a once in a lifetime experience!!!
Ulf
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